Keeper for sliding-door locks



March 10, 1931. F. E. HOWARD 1,796,025

KEEPER FOR SLIDING DOORLOCKS Filed Sept. 14. 1929 Cal 'Patentecl Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFF-ICE FRANK E. HOWARD, OF I-IARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T JAMES L. HOWARD 86 00., A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT KEEPER FOR SLIDING-DOOR LOCKS Application'filed September 14, 1929. Serial No. 392,570.

This invention relates to sliding door latches, and more particularly to the keepers employed in connection therewith.

The particular lock and keeper disclosed here has been designed especially for use on the end doors of'subway cars where such doors are closed with considerable violence .and are subjected to extreme shocks'and strains, but of course it will be understood that this type of lock and keeper may be readily employed in connect-ion with any type of sliding door.

In the manufacture of subway cars and the like, it is frequently impossible to locate the keeper plate in such position that the keeper can be made to properly register with the latch bar or bolt, and it is therefore one of the essential objects of this invention to provide a keeper which may be conveniently adjusted vcrticallyof the keeper plate so as to secure the proper location of the same and insure correct engagementof the latch bolt therewith. In-providing .such adjusting means it will be also understood that the keeper may be readily adjusted to take up any wear either on the keeper or the latch bolt. Furthermore, when such doors are closed, as before stated with considerable violence, the rebound of the door is such that 13.5. excessive strains are directed upon the keeper unless some provision is made for taking "dare of this contingency. It is therefore another object of this invention to provide means for dampening the shock on the keeper when the door rebounds after being slammed to shut position, and to prevent breakage of the parts, and alsoto eliminate tearing out of the keeper plate screws or bolts.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection withthe accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application and in which 7 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a sliding door and jam shown in separated position, with the preferred type of lock carried by the door and the keeper carried by the jam;

Fig. 9. a vertical sectional view taker through the keeper mounting;

Fig. 3 is a face View of the keeper plate,

Fig. 4% is a rear view; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 represents the door jam, or an opposite] y sliding door, but hereinafter called the jam, 2 the door, and 3 generally indicates the lock or latch which has the customary reciprocating handle 4 actuating the latch or bolt 5 in the usual manner. I have shown no interior mechanism of the look as this forms no part of my invention. It should be sufiicient to say that when the handle is rocked on its pivotal axis indicated at 6, the latch bar is raised so as to release it or engage it with the keeper, as may be desired. It is of course to be understood that the latch 5 is depressed into engaging position with the keeper by means of a spring as is customary.

The keeper member comprises a supporting plate 7 which is preferably morticed into the door jam 1 and is provided with a central, somewhat elongated, rectangular aperture 8 and counter-sunk openings 9 for the reception of attaching screws which hold thesame on the jam, as is customary.

Covering the aperture in the rear of the plate is a housing having side walls one of which is indicated at 10, and a back wall 11,-having a portion 12 slightly offset to the rear and forming an abutment, as will be hereinafter described. The back wall adjacent its upper portion is provided with an elongated slot 13 through which projects the screw stud 14 of a mounting plate 15. This stud and plate are secured in position by means of the nut 16 and lock washer 17 so that the mounting plate may be adjusted up and down in said plate and be held in adjusted position.

The mounting plate is provided, as shown 1n F1gs. 2 and 3, with spaced forwardly pro ecting cars 18 to which the upper re duced end 19 of the keeper 20 is hinged by meansof the stud or through-pin 21. This keeper, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with a forward hooked extension 22 and a rearwardly and downwardly projecting extension 23, which normally fits against the abutment 12 and is held in such position by .means. of a spring 24: interposed between the extension 23 and the rear side of the plate 7 which spring is held in position by means of a stud 25 projecting forwardly from the bar 28, and a boss 26. on the rear side of the plate 7.

As will be readily seen from an inspection of the drawing, when the door is closed against the jam, the latch 5' will raise over the hooked end 22 ofthe keeper and haveits shoulder '27 engaged; with the corresponding shoulder 28 onthe keeper. The rebound of the door after striking the jam will be taken up by the spring 24 and no direct strain willbe thrown on the head of the keeper or on the pivot pin 21, that is to say no direct strain will be imparted to the keeper that would serve to rupture the parts aswould be the case were the keeper not free to move against the tension of the spring. It will, of course, be understood that when s'uoha violent rebound is encountered and'the spring 2 is fully compressed, the shock will be sustained between the plate and the pivot pin, havin sorbedby the spring. 6therwise destructive effects will be thereby obviated.

' When the keeper or latch becomes worn or the relation of the lock and keeper is changed by reason of the distortion of the car; construction, so that the latch can no longer properly engage the keeper, then under these circumstances the keeper may be either raised or lowered, as is found to be necessary, by'loosening the nut 16 and adjusting the mounting plate, as is well understood. v

While I have described a single specific embodiment ofmy invention, it will be understood that many modifications of this embodiment may be resorted to in practice,

such modifications being well within the scope of the appended claims. It will be also understood that where I have used the term lock or the term latch they are used without any distinction and should be considered synonymous.

What I claim is:

1. In a keeper for sliding door looks, a fixed'apertured supporting plate, a support carried thereby, a keeper member adjustably mounted-upon said supportand having a hook to be engaged by the latch bolt, the lock endof said keeper member adapted to i have movement toward and away from said plate, and an abutment for the movable end of said keeper normally positioning --the hooked end for engagement by the latch bolt. I

2. In a keeper for sliding door looks or latches, a supporting plate having an aperbeen largely abture therein, a housing carried by said plate, a mount ng member ad ustably carried by said houslng, a keeper member freely pivoted on said mounting member, and means to restrain the free end of said keeper "from movement toward said plate, said keeper projecting through the aperture in position to be engaged by the latch bolt.

3. In a keeper for sliding door looks or latches, a supporting plate having an aperture capable of permitting the passage of .a latching bolt, a housinghaving a vertical slot in a wall thereof, a mounting member adjustably mounted in said slot, and a hooked keeper pivotally mounted at one end of said member and capable of movement at its other end toward said plate, said keeper projecting through the aperture for engagement with the latch bolt.

4. In a keeper for sliding door locks or latches,*a supportingplate having an aper-' ture capable of permitting the passage of a latching bolt, a housing. having a vertical slot in a wall thereof, a mounting member adjustably mounted in said slot, a hooked and capable of movement at its other end I toward said plate, said keeper projecting through the aperture for engagement with the latch bolt, and a spring interposed between the free end of thekeeper and the plate for absorbing rebound strains-of the door when the latch is engaged with the keeper. I

6. In a keeper for sliding door looks or latches, a fixed apertured supporting plate, a keeper pivotally mounted thereon and havmg a hooked end arranged to be engaged by the latch bolt, and means for holding said keeper in such position but permitting the movement of its free end to absorb strains delivered by the rebound of the door "when the latch is engaged with the keeper.

In a keeper for sliding door looks or latches, an apertured supporting plate, means'for pivotallysupporting the keeper with its hooked end projecting into the aperture in the plate, an abutment for the free end of'the keeper,and means serving to hold the free end of the keeper againstthe abutment but permitting the movement of said free end to accommodate rebound movement of the door.

8. In a keeper for sliding doors, a supporting element, a mounting member carried thereby, and a latching element carried on said member for vertical adjustment and substantially horizontal swinging movement with respect to said element.

9. In a keeper for sliding door latches, a supporting plate, a latching member mounted on said supporting plate for vertical adjustment and substantially horizontal swinging movement with respect to said plate, and means to hold said keeper in latch bolt re- .ceiving position and to restrain movement of the keeper towards said plate.

10. In a keeperfor sliding door locks, a fixed supporting plate having an aperture capable of permitting the passage of a latch ing bolt and a hook keeper member mounted on said plate for vertical adjustment andsubstantially horizontal swinging movement with respect to said plate and adapted to be engaged by the latching bolt.

11. A keeper for sliding door locks comprising a fixed supporting plate having an aperture capable of permitting the passage of a latching bolt, and a hooked keeper member vertically movable with respect to said plate and having one end movable toward and away from said plate, the hook of said keeper projecting through the aperture for engagement by the latching bolt.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my si nature.

FRANK E. HowZiRD. 

